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If you haven’t already noticed, cocktail culture in Toronto is thriving. It’s not enough anymore for restaurants to slap together a cocktail menu of kitschy martinis and mojitos, now bartenders have to produce a polished list of classic and inspired cocktails. The Sazarac, Old Fashioned and Manhattan have made a big comeback and if you don’t believe us, ask blogTO.

If there’s something that all classic cocktails have in common, it’s their use of bitters. Bitters are made from infusing roots, herbs, bark, fruit peels, seeds, spices and botanicals to high-proof alcohol. We learned a little about the bartender’s “salt and pepper” when we took the Cocktails 101 workshop at BYOB and we returned to ask owner Kristen Voisey to school us in the art of bitters and how we can use them to make delicious concoctions at home.

Voisey in her awesome store.Image: JJ Thompson

First, the history:

Bitters were first used as a medicine to cure everything indigestion-related until someone figured out they tasted great with alcohol (Ed. note: Thanks, someone!). Production boomed in the 1850’s in the US and at one point, there were hundreds of flavours available. But then along came prohibition and the bitters industry evaporated, leaving behind only two types: Angostura and Peychauds.

Wait. If there’s alcohol in bitters, then why can we buy them at grocery stores?

Bitters aren’t potable – which means that by definition, they are too concentrated in flavour to drink alone. That being said, there are potable bitters that you’ve probably seen in the LCBO like Campari, Fernet, Branca and Jagermeister, which are meant to be sipped on alone or added to a drink in ounces, not dashes.

Peychauds, a bitter out of New Orleans, is another staple. It’s an essential ingredient in the Sazerac. It’s said that you can tell the worth of a bartender by how well they make a Sazerac.

To get creative at home, BYOB carries dozens of bitter flavours like peach, rhubarb, mint, grapefruit, lavender, chocolate, celery, black walnut, cherry, maple and more. They even have a Jerk bitter that would be a spicy Caesar drinker’s dream come true.

BYOB’s vast selection of Bitters.

Some bitters brands to look out for include Fee Brothers, The Bitter Truth, Bittermens, Dr. Adams Bitters, Scrappy’s, Bittercube and The Bitter End.

At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to experiment. Try something as simple as Fee Brothers Grapefruit bitters in some gin and soda, or be daring and try Bittermens Xocolatl Mole Bitters in tequila or dark rum – do whatever tastes good to you.

We’re pulling our at-home cocktail inspiration from some of our favourite bars – Yours Truly’s Rare Earth cocktail, The County General’s Red Rooster and The Drake’s Pisco Fuzz. Drake even has a special new Cocktail Bar, where bartenders can give you all of the info above and more – while mixing you up a special drink. Yum!

We love a good cocktail. We’re not talking Cosmopolitan’s either – we mean real, get-that-cranberry-juice-away-from-me cocktails. So when we heard that BYOB Cocktail Emporium (972 Queen St. W.) would be hosting a Mixology 101 class featuring the four standards – The Old Fashioned, The Manhattan, The Martini and The Daiquiri – we eagerly signed up.

Led by master mixologist Trevor Burnett, we learned the ins and outs of the cocktail, from its inception, to prohibition, to its many (often inferior) modern-day imitations (we’re looking at you, Appletini).

Mixology 101 is not the place to be shy. Burnett called on participants, awarding each helper with a piece of cocktail paraphernalia. You’d think putting a bunch of things in a glass and stirring would be easy, but there really is an art to the construction of a cocktail. Read on to learn how you can become your own favourite bartender.

Making a good Old Fashioned requires patience and orange Angostura bitters.

The Old Fashioned

Fill glass with ice.

Soak one sugar cube in 12 drops of orange bitters.

Muddle cube.

Squeeze orange zest (from the peel – not the white stuff) into the glass and let drop.

Add 1.5 oz. of bourbon.

Add 1.5 oz. of soda water.

Give the drink a slow stir. Don’t “bruise the spirits”.

Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

The original Manhattan was made with bourbon, but was switched to rye during Prohibition when Canadian Club was smuggled into the US (seen Boardwalk Empire yet?).

The secret to a perfect martini is in the stirring – don’t shake so hard! Be gentle. And if you like your martini dry, try coating your ice in vermouth and then straining before adding vodka or gin.

The Martini

Pack your shaker ¾ full with ice.

Pour dry vermouth into the ice and stir.

Drain vermouth and keep the ice in the shaker.

Add 2 oz. vodka and stir.

Strain into martini glass and add lemon zest or olive.

The daiquiri was a hit with the class, thanks to Burnett’s homemade strawberry syrup. We’ll never be satisfied with the slushy version again.

The Daiquiri

Fill shaker with ice.

Add 2 oz. white Rum.

Add ¾ oz. fresh lime juice.

Add ¼ oz. simple or flavoured syrup.

Shake and strain into glass.

Of course, it’s always important to use proper glassware when serving cocktails – presentation counts. BYOB has a great selection of curated vintage glassware along with everything you need to create these cocktails at home.

Owner Kristen Voisey said the next Mixology class will take place early in the new year with plans for some specialized classes as well (Tiki drinks, please!). Participants pay $45 and can expect to get hands-on training and samples of each drink. For more information about BYOB (including hours) and updates on Mixology classes, check out their Facebook page.